Stress basics (8)
- Stress: Win control over the stress in your life
- Stress management: Understand your sources of stress
- Stress management: How do you react during stressful situations?
- see all in Stress basics
Stress relief (19)
- Stress, depression and the holidays: 10 tips for coping
- Being assertive: Reduce stress, communicate better
- Positive thinking: Reduce stress, enjoy life more
- see all in Stress relief
Relaxation techniques (7)
- Tai chi: Discover the many possible health benefits
- Relaxation techniques: Learn ways to reduce your stress
- Meditation: Take a stress-reduction break wherever you are
- see all in Relaxation techniques
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Tai chi: Discover the many possible health benefits
The ancient art of tai chi uses gentle flowing movements to reduce the stress of today's busy lifestyles and improve health. Find out how to get started.
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you're looking for another way to reduce stress, consider tai chi (TIE-chee). Tai chi is sometimes described as "meditation in motion" because it promotes serenity through gentle movements — connecting the mind and body. Originally developed in ancient China for self-defense, tai chi evolved into a graceful form of exercise that's now used for stress reduction and to help with a variety of other health conditions.
Understanding tai chi
Tai chi, also called tai chi chuan, is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. To do tai chi, you perform a series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.
Tai chi has many different styles, such as yang and wu. Each style may have its own subtle emphasis on various tai chi principles and methods. There are also variations within each style. Some may focus on health maintenance, while others focus on the martial arts aspect of tai chi.
The result of all this variation is that there are more than 100 possible movements and positions with tai chi, many of which are named for animals or nature. Regardless of the variation, all forms of tai chi include rhythmic patterns of movement that are coordinated with breathing to help you achieve a sense of inner calm. The concentration required for tai chi forces you to live in the present moment, putting aside distressing thoughts.
Who can do tai chi
The intensity of tai chi varies depending on the form or style practiced. Some forms of tai chi are more fast-paced and exerting than are others, for instance. However, most forms are gentle and suitable for everyone. So you can practice tai chi regardless of your age or physical ability — tai chi emphasizes technique over strength. In fact, because tai chi is low impact, it may be especially suitable if you're an older adult who otherwise may not exercise.
You may also find tai chi appealing because it's inexpensive, requires no special equipment and can be done indoors or out, either alone or in a group.
Although tai chi is generally safe, consider talking with your doctor before starting a new program. This is particularly important if you have any problems with your joints, spine or heart, if you are pregnant, if you have any fractures, or if you have severe osteoporosis.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Seaward BL. Managing Stress. 6th ed. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. 2009:445.
- Tai chi: An introduction. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/taichi. Accessed Oct. 1, 2009.
- Wang C. The effect of tai chi on health outcomes in patients with chronic conditions: A systematic review. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2004;164:493.
- Learning about tai chi chuan. Nursing. 2002;32:86.
- Adler PA, et al. The use of tai chi to improve health in older adults. Orthopaedic Nursing. 2006;25:122.
- Wayne PM, et al. Challenges inherent to t'ai chi research: Part I — T'ai chi as a complex multicomponent intervention. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2008;14:95.
- Wayne PM, et al. Challenges inherent to t'ai chi research: Part II — Defining the intervention and optimal study design. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2008;14:191.
- Bauer BA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 2, 2009.
